Thanks to Covid19, telemedicine is underway. At last.

So many potential positives for both patients and their health professionals: less travel, no parking, more time-efficient, more convenient, more flexible.

I’ve been counting how many patients ‘don’t attend’ – very few; I do a couple of call-backs if they’re not available. Plus 90% of my patients would have attended out-patients by car or taxi so that’s a significant reduction in pollution, parking and traffic. I ask at the end, ” Was that OK?” Older patients often tell me “I was worried, but it went much better than I thought”

I’m listening more. I let people tell me their story. There’s no non-verbal cues, computer screens or clocks to cut things short. It does sometimes feel like they haven’t had anyone to talk to for a while.

The Royal College of Physicians and the British Medical Association recommend clear introductions, checking it’s OK to talk and using a good phone microphone in a quiet room. All good.

Me: ‘…..Is it OK to talk now?” Traffic noise. ‘Yes, absolutely, I’m just in the post office.’

‘Can you tell me what medicines you’re on?’ Pause; mumble; ‘Hold on a minute, I’m just on the toilet.’

Halfway through a colleague’s consultation:

‘Doctor, can you hold on a moment, please…..I need to get down the ladder off the roof.’

So now I ask- are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin.